http://thecabin.net/sports/2016-10-25/mccollums-column-backstory-uca-womens-soccer-championship
Excellent article........
McCollum's Column: The backstory of that UCA women's soccer championship
October 25, 2016 - 8:37pm
By David McCollum
The smiles, the hugs, the charge onto the pitch Sunday for the University of Central Arkansas women’s soccer team represented a harvest celebration.
The Bears are unbeaten in Southland Conference play (9-0-1) and have earned the top seed in the postseason tournament at Corpus Christi, Texas, which means a bye into the semifinals, then a matchup with the No. 4 or 5 seed in the semifinals. The team that tied them (0-0), Abilene Christian, is ineligible for postseason because of NCAA Division I transition.
Best-case scenario for a champion.
The seeds were planted four years ago when the current seniors composed new coach Jeremy Bishop’s first full recruiting class. Those seeds were fertilized last season after UCA was suddenly eliminated in a shootout in the SLC tournament. They solidified during star Kelsey Johnson’s courageous and miraculous fight through surgery and treatment for a brain tumor that turned out benign and her quest to return to the field her senior season.
Those freshmen Bishop recruited four years ago finished a so-so campaign — 9-10, 6-6 in the conference.
“It’s been gratifying to see how that immature group that didn’t really know what it takes to win to get to where they are now; that’s why we coach,” said Bishop, noting that if the Bears defeat Northwestern State on Friday night, it will go down as one of the best regular-season drives in conference history.
Last year, The Bears finished sixth in the regular season and barely made it into the postseason tournament that they hosted.
Sam Houston State eliminated them on penalty kicks in the first round after the teams played to a scoreless tie in regulation and two overtimes.
“There was no relief the season was over,” said Bishop. “We thought we could have done better. In the spring, we really focused on working extremely hard and have a little more commitment to do what we needed to do to get back in the tourney and do better. In preseason, a lot of things started clicking. You could tell we were better on the ball. Then, when the season started and we go to Missouri and jump out to a 2-0 lead (a 3-2 loss) at their place and coach (Derek) Nicholls look at each other and go ‘Hmmmm.’
“This group has been amazing, they work extremely hard, they have the commitment to do the right things to make sure they’re ready to play every time out, and it showed this season. Listening to the game plan, putting it into play. All the things you need to have a successful season, a championship season, we’ve had this year. This group of seniors have shown great leadership but they also expect a lot from the underclassmen. They have shown them the right way and they expect them to do it.”
Then, there was the inspiration boost of Johnson’s recovery from the brain surgery.
“She goes through brain surgery, radiation and chemo over the summer, then the first day back in preseason, she passes all the physical tests we put all our players through,” said Bishop. “There were not a whole lot of excuses anybody on the team could make after that. She had an impact right from the beginning. She’s still going through chemo treatments but she has given unbelievable support on the sideline.”
Johnson’s impact was felt throughout the Southland community.
After the Bears shut out Nicholls, 3-0, to clinch the championship, the Lady Colonels’ Ainsley Pratt sought out Johnson and told her how she had been an inspiration to all the players and how honored she was to play on the same field with her.
Johnson has not been cleared by doctors for contact.
However, by mutual agreement of the coaching staffs, Johnson will be in the starting lineup Friday night in the regular-season finale against Northwestern. The ball will be kicked out of bound and Johnson, after getting her deserved recognition for being such a courageous example, will be substituted.
“And then she will probably cry a lot,” said Bishop.
Not the only one, we expect.
Harvest time can produce tears of joy.
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